Friday, December 03, 2010

I've always had a thing for mermaids. I can't truly remember if it preceded Daryl Hannah or if she caused it but in my movie addled brain I have come to blame her. I remember our first magical meeting vividly: I was fully clothed, she was naked.

Was it the allure of the fantastical?

Was it the iamcurious shock of nudity in a family movie? (The 80s. Different times.)

Was it that guileless smile?

Was it the childlike innocence?

Was it the crimped hair?

It was surely all of these things and more but I never fell out of love. Happy 50th birthday Daryl Hannah!

The industry hasn't always treated you kindly (where was that Golden Globe Comedy nod for Splash? Or, better yet, an Oscar nod for Kill Bill, Vol. 2) but you've treated the world well. Filmmakers haven't always known what to do with you but you've found all sorts of wonderful things to do with yourself offscreen.

The best thing about Daryl is that, even though she was mythically gorgeous in her youth, she didn't take the easy way out and turned herself into an actress with more heft and meat (and longevity) than I think anybody would have expected. Brava, Ms. Hannah. Gotta love a bitch named Daryl.

I remember seeing "Splash", and being the only person disappointed when Tom Hanks got the girl. I wanted his brother (John Candy) to go live with the mermaid Madison because I liked him better. He was funnier, nicer, and more appreciative. I don't remember why I thought this. Maybe it's part of my inexplicable preference for the "character actor" over the "star".